Brandon Aiyuk: 'Niners be in the media everyday' amid contract talks, trade rumors

As he goes through his hold-in with the San Francisco 49ers, Brandon Aiyuk is speaking out about the reports about his future. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported a “renewed effort” from San Francisco in contract talks, but Aiyuk addressed that report on Instagram Friday night.

According to NFL Network, the situation “remains fluid” with Aiyuk and the 49ers, but the franchise appears to be interested in restarting contract talks. The star wide receiver is looking for a long-term deal as he finishes out his rookie contract and requested a trade.

After the latest report, Aiyuk took to Instagram to comment about where things stand. He said the 49ers have “two options” and encouraged user @TheSFNiners to “stop dropping reports.”

“Niners be in the media everyday lol,” Aiyuk wrote. “It’s two options out there pick one and stop dropping reports simple.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers are seen as a potential destination for Aiyuk in a trade and have been active in negotiations. No deal has come together, however, and the 49ers appear to be making a push to keep him in the Bay Area. Garafolo noted San Francisco is on the list of teams Aiyuk would be willing to play for with long-term security.

But even as talks start back up, Pelissero noted Pittsburgh is still in play. There’s still plenty to figure out if a deal was to come to fruition, though.

“After months of speculation, sporadic negotiations and recent trade talks, the 49ers are now making a renewed effort to try to get a long-term deal done with their estranged wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk,” Pelissero said ahead of the Steelers’ preseason game against the Houston Texans. “Nothing is done as of this moment. There are still moving parts. A trade to the Steelers remains a possibility. But for the first time in months, there’s actual movement in San Francisco.”

As for what led San Francisco to go back into negotiations, Pelissero said the trade market isn’t where the franchise would like it to be. The 49ers want a wide receiver in return for Aiyuk, but it doesn’t sound like teams are willing to do so.

“How exactly did we get here? Well, a couple of weeks ago – with Aiyuk holding in and no end in sight – the 49ers began to survey the trade market,” Pelissero said. “Several teams entered into the negotiations both with the 49ers and with Aiyuk’s agent on a contract. There was San Francisco looking for a wide receiver as part of any trade. The Steelers didn’t have one to give, but it became plenty apparent over time that that was Aiyuk’s preferred destination.

“At that point, Mike, the 49ers started checking with other teams. Could you get a wide receiver from somebody else while trading Aiyuk to Pittsburgh? The prices were high if people would be moved, at all. … Those two options still remain to be seen in terms of is it the 49ers on a new deal [or] is it a trade in Pittsburgh? But we do appear to be coming to a head here.”